To applaud, or not to applaud...

At the RUSA workshop I sat at a table up front and as is my habit, began the clapping for each presenter as they were introduced. I slipped up once and NO ONE applauded. Sad. It brought back enforce the memory of the event that initiated my custom to be the applause starter...
Rich and I were in England in 1979 and took the Tube out to a remote London suburb to see a Shakespearean play. There were only about six of us in the audience and none of us were saavy enough about the play to recognize the scene changes in order to applaud at the appropriate moments. Finally we were feeling uncomfortable with the silences and began to applaud when we felt like it, spurring the others to join in as well. By the end, the talented cast were getting the recognition they deserved from the audience, but ever since, I have tried not to be shy about being the first one to clap. Yes, sometimes I get it wrong and am embarassingly alone in my applause, but that is better than the alternative, in my book.

I can help you with that...

said the Fates. I had recently read this article on ways to fight early Alzheimer's and was doing all the suggestions but one:

"Use different parts of your brain by performing activities such as writing with your non-dominant hand, walking backwards, or brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand."

Since breaking my wrist last weekend, I now get to practice that exercise ALL THE TIME! I think I found my silver lining.

It's a Gorey life

My daughter gave me an Edward Gorey puzzle for Christmas. Very difficult! I had helpers during the holidays but it has lain neglected for weeks. I finally got some down time when I was home sick a few days ago and finished it--just in time for Edward Gorey's birthday!

Two become one

Rich had this great idea to take all seven grandkids to the roller rink. Fortunately Jason (son-in-law and dad to 3 of said grands) accompanied us, giving the 2 moms a special evening together kid-less. I had just started out onto the rink floor with the 4-year-old when my feet flew out from under me and i broke my fall with my left hand, thus also breaking my wrist in 2 places. I handed off my charge to Rich while I assessed the damage and went for some ice, though I was fairly sure of the break. As I sat with an ice pack on my wrist, the 11-year-old came by to check on me and informed me that "Grampa fell too!" Yep. He and Norah got 3/4 around the rink when he lost it and went down. So we were able to leave the group in Jay's able hands and Rich drove us both to the ER where he was given a sling for a hairline fracture and (after 5 tries) I got my radius bone set and a full-arm cast put on.

The Synchronicity of this is that his injury is to his right (dominant) side and my break is my (dominant) left. So now,  he holds the can while I turn the can-opener; I hold the bread while he spreads the butter. Together we can still get it done!

life lesson learned

The fingers of my left hand became swollen when I broke my wrist a couple nights ago while rollerskating. The first thing I did after getting up off the rink floor and feeling the extent of the pain was to remove my rings and tuck them into the pocket of my jeans. I recalled the incident 18 months ago when I had a bicycle mishap which resulted in having to get my lovely onyx ring cut off my finger. On seeing my ringless, swollen fingers today, husband says, "It's a good thing you had that bicycle accident."
Could husband be turning into an optimist?

N11MB3RS

Do you have a favorite number? Do you see it everywhere? Does it hold special meaning? I don't go in for numerology, per se, but our family (husband) has had a "relationship" with the number 33 for awhile now. I realize there are others who also see significance in this particular number as can be explored here, and I would often have encounters with 33 myself, but lately I've been thinking that 11 (or 11:11) is actually "my" number...
I'd been seeing 11:11 frequently and it always seems to give me pause, but I didn't know why. Here's an excerpt from an article by Uri Geller that seems to put my feelings into words:

For many years the numbers 11:11 have been mysteriously appearing to people all over the world. Often appearing on digital clocks, the sightings of 11:11 tend to occur during times of heightened awareness, having a most powerful effect on the people involved. This causes a reactivation of our cellular memory banks. There’s a stirring deep inside, a hint of remembrance of something long forgotten. The appearance of 11:11 is also a powerful confirmation that we are on the right track, aligned with our highest Truth. Throughout the years, I have personally encountered thousands of people all over the world who, have experienced repeated sightings of 11:11. They all want to know what is happening to them and why. What does the 11:11 signify?...

When the 11:11 appears to you, it is your wake-up call. A direct channel opens up between you and the Invisible. When this happens, it is time to reflect on whatever you are doing for a moment and Look Larger. ...You can enter the Greater Reality if you wish pray or meditate and seed your future and also, you can be seeded by the Invisible. You can ask for help in some specific area of your life or simply listen quietly and receive a revelation. The appearance of 11:11 is an always beneficial act of Divine Intervention telling you that it is time to take a good look around you and see what is really happening. It’s time to pierce the veils of illusion that keep us bound to an unreal world. You have been chosen, because you are ready, to step into the Greater Reality. To lead the way for others into a new way of living, into a Greater Love. To ascend from duality into Oneness.

The 11.11 is the bridge to our vitality and oneness. It is our pathway into the positive unknown and beyond.

We call them G-D Winks. Some may say it is just a coincidence, but if seeing a particular number (33, 11, et. al.) provides the above stimulus for reflection and openness to inspiration, I am keeping my eyes (and mind) opened.

Yin/yang

I recently blogged about finding the perfect mug but now I realize it was incomplete. In the same staff cabinet I discovered its mate, the yang to its yin. Lovely!

Experienced riders want(ing)

"What's your riding experience, ma'am?"
"I owned and rode my own 16-hand quarter horse for eight years."
"Alright then! We'll give you "Missy". She will do whatever you tell her to."
...
"Giyup, missy!" Nay.
"Look lively, Missy! Let's at least trot." Nay.

Maybe we'll let loose with a bit of a canter for a few feet, then trot for a few more yards while the wrangler is yi-hawing right next to us, but for the most part of our two-hour ride along the beach, Missy preferred to saunter along at the same pace as the rest of the well-worn mounts. (You can see from the photo that one of them was a draft horse!) I have to say there was a bit of false advertising here, from Back Country Wilderness Outfitters, as their brochure claimed the 2-hour ride was, "A little faster-paced ride to the southern tip of the beach. This ride is advisable for confident riders, ten or older." I think I would have trusted "Missy" with my 6-year-old granddaughter on her back.

It had been years since I'd ridden, and many more since the days of owning my own steed, but its a bit like riding a bicycle...you just don't forget. And I can testify that there is nothing that comes close to owning your own horse and having the freedom to ride as fast and as far as you choose.
I'm afraid this pin will still remain on my Wish List Board for the time being.

Horse sense

I've been thinking about my horse-riding days when I owned Pride of Nebraska, a 16-hand quarter horse. Rich had bought some knives online recently and gave one to me--a wrangler's knife that has a hoof pick on it. It called to mind my teen years when I used such a tool frequently with Nebraska.
As I prepared for a genealogy workshop this week I experimented with some mobile apps for recording memories and recorded as an example the story of how I got me knee scar (taking a spill off Nebraska).
This weekend we took a quick getaway trip to the coast. I slipped the knife in my pocket "just in case." Near the beach we happened upon an enterprise offering horse riding along the shore. I showed Rich my Pinterest board "wishlist" and the pic of a girl on a horse on the beach, hair flying, arms outstretched as she cantered along. He said "go for it" so I did. I had high expectations but the pin will remain for the time being. But that's another story. I did get to use my knife though. Not the hoof pick, but I cut "Missy's" apple with the blade for her treat at the end of our two-hour walk along the beach together.

The whole experience

I don't get attached to too many things, especially when I have started down the path of minimalism. I am trying to implement the habit of getting rid of one thing if I bring something new into the house. But...I have taken over possession of a mug I found in the staff room cabinet. There is an eclectic assortment of mish-mash in there, and I usually try to bring a cup from home, but this one recently appeared and it spoke to me. Its minimalist design, cool, matte finish and neutral color gives me a feeling of peace and calm just looking at it. And when it is full of my Good Earth "Sweet & Spicy" tea...ahhhh!

Learn then do

I attended a RUSA conference in Seattle last week and learned from Anne Mitchell (Ancestry Anne) @f_f_stories  about different ways of searching in Ancestry.com for varied results. Came home to my library job and got a call this morning that gave me an opportunity for hands-on practice with that very thing! The patron was looking for an application for enrollment in the Five Civilized Tribes from 1896. A search of her ancestor by name yielded no results, but when I went through the collection THIS way: Search > Immigration & Travel > Citizenship & Naturalization Records > U.S. Native American Applications for Enrollment in Five Civilized Tribes, 1896 There it was! At first glance I only saw the index, which information the patron already had, but by choosing to "browse this collection" I could put in the parameters from the Index and arrived at the actual application documents. Turns out it was a DIFFERENT Thomas Giles, not her ancestor after all, but the search was productive in that it ruled OUT info and gave me new knowledge in search techniques.